Shipping apparatus



June 16, 1964 R. STROUTH SHIPPING APPARATUS Filed June 14, 1963 A .l H M D W E 3 m 9 U x U 13 W m I o \lU M m L 2 X a E Q1. v.7! mu 2 a a a m I I F 1 g il v m w a w a I 3 1 a U Q 6 m fl e QR Di m M H m M M w H 2 H 11111 MMW MHM L ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,137,388 SHIPPING APPARATUS Robert L. Strouth, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, assignor to The Lau Blower Company, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed June 14, 1963, Ser. No. 287,871 3 Claims. (Cl. 206-65) suitable cushions and partitions therein for holding the unwieldly shape solidly within the box. As a result, the blower manufacturer encounters the problems of handling the cardboard boxes, including different sizes for different capacity blowers, thus increasing the time required to pack and handle the boxes with an ultimate increase in the cost of the blowers. On the other hand, a purchaser of a large number of such blowers is pre sented with the problem of. disposing of a large number of these boxes since it is not economically feasible to return or otherwise to salvage them.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of this invention to provide apparatus for inexpensively shipping a large number of blowers in such a manner that the time and expense associated with the packing and unpacking of the blowers, as well as the handling of the shipping apparatus, are decreased considerably below those of the previous practice in the industry.

Another object of this invention is to provide palletizing apparatus for shipping volute shaped blowers which is returnable and reusable, which provides open sides for the display of the blowers, and which can easily handle blowers of different sizes so that the manufacturer no longer is required to stock boxes corresponding to each size blower being manufactured.

A further object of this invention is to provide palletizing apparatus for shipping blowers having an un wieldy volute shape wherein the apparatus is inexpensive to manufacture, maintain and handle, and can be utilized for an indefinite number of shipments, and particularly to provide apparatus of the aforesaid type which when assembled forms a rigid package capable of being stacked and handled with ease.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

In the drawing- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is also a perspective view of the pallet assempallet assembly in bly assembled for shipment back to the manufacturer;

FIG. 3 is a side view of a typical blower which is handled by the invention;

FIG. 4-is a plan view of the base panel indicating the manner in which the blower outlets are heldthereon;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 illustrating an intermediate panel; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken along the view line 66 of FIG. 4. 7

Referring to the drawing wherein a referred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, apparatus in FIG. 1 for handling the blowers It) includes the base panel 11, the intermediate panels 12, 13 and 14, and the top or cover panel 15 all of which have essentially an identical outer configuration and size. The blowers 1 10 have volute or spiral shaped casings as required to i obtain maximum operational efliciency, as is well known to those skilled in the art and as shown in FIG. 3, and each casing has an inlet 19 atone or both sides thereof through which air is drawn by a suitable blower wheel, not shown, which forces the air through a rectangular outlet 20 which extends outwardly from the casing.

The base panel 11 is constructed of suitable sheet material, for example'marine plywood, having four rails 22 on the bottom side thereof for holding this panel above ground level so that the forks of a lift truck can be inserted thereunder. Each edge of the base panel 11 is provided with notche's 23 cut therein for accommodating the steel bands or straps 25 which are used to tie the various components of the assembly together, and the rails 22 similarly have aligned notches 26 cut therein so that the bands 25 extend directly adjacent the bottom surface 27 of the base panel 11.

On the top surface 28 of the base panel ll are secured a pluralty ofcleats or guide blocks 30 which are utilized to engage the outlet opening 20 of each blower 10 for holding the same against movement parallelwith the plane of the panel. As shown in FIG. 4, the blocks 30 are arranged in groupings orsets of three with each set including a base block 30a, which engages one corner of the outlet opening 20, and the anchor blocks 30!), and 300, one of which engages the opposite corner of the opening 20 depending on the size of this opening. Thus in'FIG.-4, the outlet opening of the larger blower 10 is held against movement. on the panel 11 by the blocks 30a and 300, whereas the smaller blower 10a is held by the blocks 30a and 30b. The number of anchor blocks therefore determines the number of different sized blowers which be handled by the panels, and while two such blocks have been shown, a larger number could be utilized without departing from the scopeof the invention.

The blocks 30 are preferably strips of wood which are suitably secured to the' base panel 11, and the number of sets thereon determines the number of blowers 10 which can be handled bythis panel. Similarly, the arrangement and spacing of the sets on the panels determine the relative spacing of the blowers 10 from the edges of the panels and from each other when the blowers are mounted thereon. As shown in FIG. 4, there are nine sets of guide blocks 30 on the base 11 so that this panel can hold' nine blowers 10, although the panel 11 could be enlarged or decreased in size for accommodating a larger or smaller number of blowers. The various sets of blocks 30 are arranged on 'the'panel 1150 that the back sides 32 of the blowers 10 are positioned nearest the adjacent panel edge. ,7 r i j The intermediate panels 12, 13 and 14 are essentially identical to the base panel 11-with the exception that-the intermediate panels. do not havefthe support-"rails 22. Thus each intermediate. panel has the notches 33 provided in the outer periphery thereof for receiving the steel bands 25, and the sets of guideb'locks 30 are arranged thereon -as shown in FIG. 5 in essentially the same manner as on the base panel 11. The cover panel 15 is used as the uppermost panel in the assembly and has an outer size and configuration also identical to the'base and intermediate panels 11-14 although it does not have the guide blocks 30 thereon since his utilized-for clamping the uppermost level of blowers 10 in position on the panel'14. The panels 12-15 are preferably constructed of material similar in composition and'thickness to that used in, the base panel -11,,although it'mightl be desirable in. some instances to make the cover and base panels lland 15 heavier than the intermediate panels 12-14. g 7

To assemble the pallet assemb1y,.it is merely necessary to place blowers oneach of the sets of guide blocks 30 on the base panel 11 in the manner explained above so that their outlet openings are engaged by the guide blocks 30. Then the first intermediate panel 12 is placed on the top of the first level of blowers, as shown in FIG. 1, and filled. I

This process continues until the desired number of levels of blowers is achieved, at which time the cover panel 15 is placed on the uppermost level and the entire assembly is locked essentially into an integral unit by tightly wrapping the steel bands therearound in the notches 23 and 33 which prohibit sliding of the steel bands 25 along the edges of the various panel members. The ends of bands 25 are secured together in the conventional manner, and it is desirable to place the center bands on the assembly before the bands on either side thereof to decrease the possibility of misalignment of the panels during assembly.

Once all the bands 25 are in place, the assembly can be easily moved by fork truck to the rail car or the like which is to ship the blowers. Thus in this assembled condition, each of the blowers 10 is sandwiched between two of the panels 11-15 so that it cannot move vertically, and the guide blocks prohibit any horizontal movement so that each blower is securely held in a position spaced from each other and from the edges of the associated panels.

When the pallet assembly arrives at its destination, the steel bands 25 arecut in a conventional manner, and the cover 15 is removed to expose the top layer of blowers 10. As each level of blowers is removed, the next intermediate panel is removed to expose another layer,.

and in this manner the entire assembly is disassembled. When all of blowers 10 have been removed therefrom, the panels 1145 are tied together by the use of a steel band which engages the notches 23 and 33 in the edge thereof as seen in FIG. 2. For return shipment, the base panel 11 can have its rails 22 positioned adjacent one of the intermediate panels 12-14 so that a smooth side is provided on each side of the composite package 41, or they can be utilized in a reverse position so that a fork lift truck can be utilized to move one or more of these packages '41. a

While the above described embodiment of the invention is shown as utilizing panels which accommodate nine blowers, it is possible to increase or decrease this num her by merely changing the size of the panel. The primary requirement is that the panels be of generallythe same size and configuration so that they can easily be tied together and that the guide blocks 30 be provided on all panels except the cover 15. The notches 23 and 37 must be in at least the base and cover panels 11 and 15 so that the bands 40 will be held firm in place against slippage to provide an essentially rigid package of blowers which is easily handled as a unit.

The invention has thus provided returnable apparatus for shipping blowers which overcome the problems encountered heretofore with the use of cardboard boxes. Since any plurality of anchor blocks can be provided, the pallet structure can be utilized to ship blowers of many different sizes as explained above, and since the sides of the pallet assembly are open, the blowers are readily displayedfor advertising and inspection purposes.

While the form of apparatus herein described con.- stitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is tobe understood that the invention is' not limited to this precise form of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is: p

1. A package of' blowers of the character described comprising, a plurality of blowers each having a volute shaped housing with an outlet duct extending outwardly from said housing and terminating'in a rectangular opening, a base panel, a pluralityof substantially rigid flat intermediate panels, each of said panels having secured on the top side thereof a plurality of aligned and correlated guide block sets, each said set having a base block and at least one anchor block spaced from said base block a distance equal to the distance between opposite corners of said rectangular openings, each said blower having its outlet duct extending downwardly against said top surface of one of said panels with the opposite corners of said openings being engaged by said base and anchor blocks of one of said sets for positioning and holding said blowers in spaced relation to each other and to the edges of said panels and against transverse movement with respect to the plane of said top side, said panels being positioned vertically above one another so that the lower sides of said intermediate panels engage said volute shaped housings opposite said outlet ducts on said blowers on the panel immediately therebelow to hold said blowers against movement in a direction perpendicular to said panels, .a cover panel of substantially the outer same size as said base panel for holding the blowers on the uppermost of said intermediate panels against movement in a direction perpendicular to said panels,-and bands extending around said panels in contact with the bottom surface of the lowermost of said panelsfor interconnecting securely sai panels to format solid package of blowers. 1 v

'2. A package of blowers of the character described comprising, a plurality of blowers each having a volute shaped housing with an outlet duct extending outwardly from said housing and terminating in a rectangular opening, a base paneha plurality of substantially rigid fiat intermediate panels, each of said panels having secured on the top side thereof a plurality of aligned and correlated guide block sets, each said set having one base block and an anchor block for eachsize blower wheel adapted to be packaged in the combination, said anchor blocks being spaced from said base block distances equal to the distance between opposite corners of: said rectangu lar openings of said blowers adapted to be packaged in the combination, each said blower having its outlet duct extending downwardly against said top surface of one of said panels with the opposite corners of said openings being engaged by said base and anchor blocks of one of said sets for positioning and holding said blowers in spaced relation to each other and to the edges of said panels and'against transverse movement with respect to' the plane of said top side, said panels being positioned movement in a direction perpendicular to said panels, a

cover panel of substantially the outer same size as said intermediate and base panels-forholding the blowers on 1 the uppermost of said intermediate panels against movement in a direction perpendicular to said panels, and means extending around said panels for securely interconnecting said panels to form a solid package of blowers.

3. A blower shipping pallet combination comprising, a Q

plurality of blowers each having a volute' shaped housingwith an outlet duct extending outwardly from said housing and terminating in a rectangular opening, a plurality of substantially rigid flat panels each having secured on the top side thereof a plurality of aligned upstanding guide blocks spaced apart a distance equal to the distance between opposite corners of said rectangular openings,

each said blower having its outlet duct extending downwardly against said top surface of one of said panels with the opposite corners of said openings being engaged; by said guide blocks for positioning and holding said blowers in spaced relation to each other and to the edges of said panels and against transverse movement with'respect to the plane of said top side, said panels being pose tioned vertically above one another so thatthe lower sides of said panels engages said volute shaped housings;

opposite said outlet ducts on said blowers on the panel immediately therebelow to hold said blowers against movement in a direction perpendicular to said panels, a

cover panel of substantially the outer same size as said flat panels for holding the blowers 0n the uppermost of said flat panels against movement in a direction perpendicular to said panels, said blowers being disposed in vertically aligned stacks, spaced support rails on the lower side of said base panel for holding said base panel above the level of the ground, each of the edges of each of said panels and said rails having a notch therein aligned with each of said stacks, and bands extending around said 10 panels so that said bands cross on the lowermost of said panels and said cover panel directly below and above each of said vertical stacks for interconnecting securely said panels and blower to form a rigid package of blowers. References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,464,153 Robinson Mar. 8, 1949 2,806,594 Muller et a1 Sept. 17, 1957 3,008,572 Wagner n Nov. 14, 1961 

1. A PACKAGE OF BLOWERS OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED COMPRISING, A PLURALITY OF BLOWERS EACH HAVING A VOLUTE SHAPED HOUSING WITH AN OUTLET DUCT EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID HOUSING AND TERMINATING IN A RECTANGULAR OPENING, A BASE PANEL, A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID FLAT INTERMEDIATE PANELS, EACH OF SAID PANELS HAVING SECURED ON THE TOP SIDE THEREOF A PLURALITY OF ALIGNED AND CORRELATED GUIDE BLOCK SETS, EACH SAID SET HAVING A BASE BLOCK AND AT LEAST ONE ANCHOR BLOCK SPACED FROM SAID BASE BLOCK A DISTANCE EQUAL TO THE DISTANCE BETWEEN OPPOSITE CORNERS OF SAID RECTANGULAR OPENINGS, EACH SAID BLOWER HAVING ITS OUTLET DUCT EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY AGAINST SAID TOP SURFACE OF ONE OF SAID PANELS WITH THE OPPOSITE CORNERS OF SAID OPENINGS BEING ENGAGED BY SAID BASE AND ANCHOR BLOCKS OF ONE OF SAID SETS FOR POSITIONING AND HOLDING SAID BLOWERS IN SPACED RELATION TO EACH OTHER AND TO THE EDGES OF SAID 